Andrew Roberts
Sportscaster
Andrew Roberts is the first Flutie Fellow so his Fellowship is unique. Since Andrew was only 14 when he started with the organization, he was provided tools and trainings to help him succeed, in lieu of receiving compensation. This catered model has worked well, since at 18 years old, Andrew remains the youngest current Flutie Fellow.
Andrew Roberts received an autism diagnosis shortly before his second birthday read the lineup on TV for NESN as a junior announcer, as well as say “Play Ball” at the beginning of a Sox game.
His fandom grew over the years and when he was 10 years old, after borrowing a book at the library called “How to Start a Blog,” he started his own sports website BostonSportsMania. His research has been featured on 98.5 The Sports Hub and has opened the door to numerous internships, such as the Boston Herald, Worcester Bravehearts, and WEEI. His website now has over 750 posts.
Today, as a Flutie Fellow, Andrew continues to work towards his goal of becoming a professional sports journalist. His first fellowship assignment was to cover two Flutie-sponsored golfers at the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. He will be covering the Special Olympics again this summer in Orlando. Over the years he has honed his multi-media reporting skills to help promote various Flutie Foundation events and has also co-emceed several Flutie 5K’s. Most recently Andrew provided coverage of members of Dougie’s Team while they were training for the Boston Marathon.
Andrew has also turned his attention to giving back to the community that has helped him and has created several fundraisers for the Flutie Foundation. His most recent one is the Flutie Fantasy Football League (pictured here with Doug Flutie holding the custom championship belt signed by Doug and designed by Andrew with his mom, Debra), which is in its second year. Andrew’s fundraisers have generated over $15,000 for the Foundation and partner organizations.
Another way Andrew gives back is through his advocacy work. He is a motivational speaker who has inspired others in his community by telling his own story and how following his passions has opened the door to numerous opportunities for him. Andrew has also focused on reporting about organizations and businesses that are autism- or neurodiverse-welcoming, such as Apex Entertainment and the Worcester Red Sox. Andrew was recently awarded a full-ride merit scholarship to attend the Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. As he starts as 1 of 7 Park Scholars as a sports media major in the fall, Andrew hopes to further develop his skills to become a professional sports journalist. He also plans to continue his advocacy work as he is committed to making the world more inclusive.